Ghosts of Our Past
by animestargirl
Summary: He longed for revenge. I saw it in his eyes. I heard it in his voice. The problem was, he was already dead. How was I going to help? Did he really expect me to take revenge for him? Sorry, but I don't take orders from ghosts. Sasu/Naru yaoi. Char death.
1. Gasp

Star: Hey guys. I'm really sorry that I've been away for so long after promising to update my fics. Life has taken a horrible turn, and nothing seems to be going right lately. I can't tell you how many times I've just wanted to run away from it all, even for a month. But you aren't here to listen to my problems.

Bright Shadows and A Mask Over My Heart are on hiatus until further notice. The reason I'm writing this fic is because it's been floating in my head for a while. And because my friend is a tard and got me hooked on Naruto slash fics. Also, because Halloween is coming soon, and I thought that this fic would be appropriate.

One hint: there is a MAJOR plot twist in later chapters.

I hope you guys like this fic as much as you've liked my other fics. I promise to restart the Yu-Gi-Oh fics soon, though I can't say when.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Just the plot.

warnings: yaoi fic. 'nuff said.

Summary: Sasuke can see ghosts. He is supposed to lead them to the afterlife, but he doesn't bother. They are dead, so who cares about them? But his world changes when he meets the young ghost of a murder victim. This ghost will not rest until he has revenge on the one who killed him. The only problem is, the ghost can't remember who killed him, or why he had to die. As they uncover of the truth, Sasuke comes to realize that love really can surpass the grave. What is he to do when 'till death do us part' already came for one of them? And is everything he knows _really_ the truth, or is there one last secret Sasuke needs to discover?

* * *

"True love is like ghosts

which everybody talks about

but few have seen."

Francois de la Rochefoucauld.

* * *

I've always been able to see them. Even when I was little, it wasn't hard for me. And by the time I was older, it had become second nature to see them. Some were floating orbs of light, others only came half way, and others looked as they used to be. When they were alive, that is. Though sometimes they appeared to me the way they looked like when they died. And quite often it wasn't a pretty sight.

Yes, I'm talking about ghosts.

No, I'm not crazy.

My family has always been able to see ghosts, and for hundreds of years we had been hired as priests or exorcists. My ancestors once lived with the emperors and kings of different countries, all because of this power. But it wasn't all because of our strange powers that we had such fame. No, my father wanted to make sure that we were also known for our business strategies, our political influence, and our money. That's why Uchiha was a household name.

And I am Sasuke Uchiha, the youngest son of the Uchiha empire. And I'm one of the people in my immediate family with this damn power. The other is my older brother, Itachi. Of course he had the power too, and of course his powers were far more advanced. And, as you might have already guessed, he was put up on a pedestal that I could never reach. But that's how it normally is in families, isn't it? The elder siblings are made to look like gods, and we are raised to look up to them, and to hate them. And boy, did I hate my brother.

Someone called my name, but I barely heard them. I was too busy watching the ghost of an elderly man float around a bus stop. His aura felt lost, confused, and alone. I had long ago stopped wondering what the ghosts were still doing on this plane. If they realized they were dead, they disappeared. If they didn't, oh well. Though some chose to stay on in this plane because of "unfinished business". Not that it was my problem. Even though it technically was; I was supposed to be a medium between this world and the afterlife, and leading lost souls to said afterlife was why I had these powers. I didn't care.

My name was called again, and I lazily turned my eyes to the person sitting across from me in the limo. Though I wished I hadn't. Her pink hair bothered me greatly, and the way her green eyes gazed at me as if I were a piece of meat bothered me more. Not to mention, her hyper aura was filtering in through my sixth sense and it was exhausting me. I can't see auras like my brother. I can only feel and analyze them as they flow through my senses. "Yes, Sakura?" I asked in a bored tone.

"Sasuke, your mother called again and wants to know if we are still going to meet her and Itachi at the restaurant tonight?"

"And my father?"

"Busy."

"Hn."

Of course. I had long ago come to understand that my father would always be 'busy'. Even when he was home, he was 'busy'. "Fine. Tell her we'll be there." We, meaning Sakura and I. We, meaning my girlfriend and I. And by girlfriend, I meant a complete pain in the ass. I wouldn't be dating this crazy bitch if it weren't for the fact that her family was almost as rich as mine. It's good for our social status, my father once said to me. But what was good for our social status was hell for my nerves. And my already naturally short patience.

"Sasuke!" I cringed. "Why don't we go out on a date by ourselves one time? To the new Italian restaurant near the river. It'll be so much fun!"

How could a human voice reach such a pitch? It wasn't natural at all. A date with Sakura? I cringed again. God, now I wanted to throw up. This relationship was only for show, and nothing else. I had thought she understood that when our parents introduced us. But she had it in her head that I was really her boyfriend, and now she wouldn't leave me alone.

"Because I have no time for things like that," I said in my patented cold voice. Uchihas were very good at being cold bastards. The look on her face proved that. But as soon as the disappointment came, it was gone in favor of another obnoxious, happy look that only she could pull off. She then began to ramble on about something which really didn't interest me. I turned back to look at the old man, but he had disappeared.

Ah well, there were more where he came from. It wasn't as if there would ever be a lack of ghosts in the world. It wasn't that they bothered me, but I hated it when they came to me expecting me to solve their problems, or carry out their last request. It annoyed me most when they actually had the gall to ask if they could possess my body to talk to their loved ones. I wasn't a body for rent. That wasn't my job. That might have been the job of my ancestors, but it was not MY job. No, my job was to become the best heir to my father's company, and overthrow my brother's rights to the inheritance.

The limo turned down a street lined with massive oak trees that greatly stood out against the hard, steel skyline of the city. Up ahead was a large gate with a security station nearby. This was going to be my new home. In this gated community with all the other rich bastards that lived in the city. Sakura's excited shrieks drowned out any other thoughts I had about this place. I didn't see why though, since it wasn't as if she'd live there. Though there was one thought that couldn't be drowned out: fucking hell.

The limo pulled up in front of a large mansion at the end of the street. Pure, white walls, huge glass windows, and the biggest flower garden I'd ever seen in my life. Damn my mother and her love of nature. The most nature I'd ever tolerate was a vase of flowers on the dining room table. If they were fake, even better. But this was practically a forest of flowers and trees. The large ornate fountain in the middle of the driveway was even more gaudy. Really, who had lived in this house before, and why didn't they have better taste?

I looked towards the front door and suddenly wished to be somewhere else. Standing there was my parents' real estate agent, Tsunade. The woman was a fucking loose cannon, and she never went anywhere without a bottle of sake shoved in her purse. Her aura screamed 'crazy, drunk hag'. It amazed me that she could sell any houses. Though I had to admit that she was good at her job, even though I was quite sure most of her clients bought the houses out of fear of her temper. I got out of the car and greeted her with a nod; it was more than enough. Sakura, however, went and immediately chatted with the older woman about flowers or garden gnomes, or something. I wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

Looking around the driveway, I watched all the workers scurry about to complete their jobs before we were to move in next week. Gardeners, electricians, maids, butlers, furniture movers, more gardeners, pool men, and all sorts of people. It looked like a circus out here! I couldn't wait to get back to our hotel room and relax in my bed. At least there it would be quiet, since my father didn't really tolerate too much noise. It was unbecoming for people of our status to run around making noise like the peasants. My father was impossible to live with sometimes. But I'd made it through nineteen years, so I was sure I could make it through a few more. At least till I moved far, far away. And I mean FAR away.

I looked around some more at the flower arrangements and ended up walking around the corner of the house and looking into the back yard. It was even more elaborate back here. There was a huge pool at the end of a large staircase that reached up to the third floor. Marble statues of half naked men and women lined the pool, and I felt as if I were in some Greek forum. Huge bushes separated the garden from the pool area. A tennis court was in the distance. I counted at least three fountains. This was definitely not a place that said home. More like institution. Well, at least it suited my family.

"Sasuke! Come on!" Sakura yelled, her pink bubble head peeking from around the corner. "We need to look around the house before going to dinner."

I sighed but knew she was right. That was why we came. So with an uninterested 'coming', I made my way through the crowd of workers towards the front. As I was walking, my eye caught something bright towards my right. Instinctively, I turned my head to search for whatever it was. My eyes landed on a teenage boy half hidden behind some large bushes that had trimmed down. He wasn't looking at me, but more at the progress being made on the house. By the look on his face, I saw that he disapproved. Suddenly his gaze turned my way, and a chill shot through my body, making my breath stop. Now that he was looking straight at me, I could make out his features perfectly. He had a long, slender, athletic body, and, even from here, I could see the light tan that kissed his skin. Golden blonde hair that looked as soft as silk covered his head, falling into the most hauntingly beautiful azure eyes I'd ever seen. On each cheek were three whisker like marks, and his rosy lips were formed into a small frown.

I'd long ago admitted to myself that I had no interest in females. They all seemed so fake to me, and only ever wanted me for my money and fame. Besides, I'd taken plenty of biology classes, and not once did I find…_that_ part of a female attractive. No, I liked guys. And it seemed that this one caught my interest. But who was he? He looked too young to be hired by these companies, unless he was a relative of a worker. But all he was wearing was a pair of baggy jeans, a black t-shirt, and a bright orange jacket. Not even shoes. Not work appropriate, that was for sure. Maybe a neighbor that had wandered onto the property? His aura confused me even more. It was…flickering. That was the only way to describe it. Like it was confused about what it should be feeling, or where it should be.

I went to approach him, when suddenly Sakura's voice cut through my dreamy state like a chainsaw. "Sasuke, what are you doing? You're keeping us waiting, and that's very rude!" She tried to make a cute pouting face, but it failed miserably. Instead, it looked like she was trying to take a dump. "It's rude to keep ladies waiting!" I was tempted to call out 'what ladies?' but I knew that my mother would have my head if I said that. I turned back to get another glimpse of the boy, but he had disappeared. Shrugging, I pushed him to the back of my mind for the moment, figuring I'd see him again soon. Now I had to go entertain the whore and the bitch. Cookies for whoever guesses exactly whom I'm talking about.

The house looked like every other big, fancy mansion I'd ever been in. The floors were pure, white marble, and all the furniture was a dark mahogany. The huge grand hall had a large chandelier hanging over the biggest staircase right in the middle of the room. To the right was the main dining room with a table that could sit twenty people easily. To the left was the large living room, and all the furniture was pure white. I counted at least seven gilded mirrors, twelve chandeliers, nine lamps, thirteen vases, ten more vases with flowers, four busts, and ten large paintings. Basically everything in this house was big and numerous. Once again, the people who had lived in this house before had the tackiest taste ever.

Tsunade and Sakura were babbling about something, but I wasn't listening once again. But this time it wasn't out of boredom. There was a strange, otherworldly energy about this house. I knew immediately what it was; a ghost. Possibly the ghost of a murder victim. Maybe that was why it was for sale. No one liked haunted houses. It was recent too, since the spiritual presence was strong. But where was it? I left the two to themselves while I wandered about the house. I could tell that it had been at the front of the house recently, so my first guess was the dining room. It was cliché for someone to be poisoned, but it hadn't been in here. Wandering into the living room, I looked around, stretching out my 'sixth sense' to locate the ghost. Nope, not here either. This was strange; why couldn't I locate it? I knew that someone had died here. They _had _to have died, otherwise I wouldn't have picked up on the spiritual presence. The question was _where _had they died? If I could locate the ghost, I could find the source of their presence, since the energies would be the same. But this ghost, or whatever it was, didn't seem to want to be found.

With a frown on my face I headed back towards the grand hall. "Sasuke, you really need to stop wandering off," Sakura scolded, but I didn't listen again. She couldn't keep me chained to her side all the time just because we had this faux relationship. "I'm sorry, Tsunade. He's so hard to keep track of," she added with an annoying laugh. What am I, a child?

"I understand," Tsunade added, while wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve. One guess as to what she had just chugged. "I've had plenty of clients with rebellious teenagers. In fact, the teenager that lived in this house before was a complete pain." She said that with a look on her face that was as if she'd just smelled something horrible. But I heard the tenderness in her voice. "Never listened to authority, never followed orders. A complete brat."

I wanted to ask what had happened to the kid that would make her talk as if he had died. I wanted to, but it wasn't my business. "Come on," she said sharply, any hint of fondness in her voice completely gone. "We're going up to the second floor now. Here are all the bedrooms. There is a wing on both sides of the house, with three bedrooms on each wing. Six and a half baths, one common area on each wing…"

I had stopped listening, but this time there was a reason. It was that boy. He was standing in the doorway of the living room, staring at us. How had he gotten in? And WHY was he in MY house? A frown came to my face and I opened my mouth to speak to him, but Sakura distracted me. They were heading up the stairs, so I headed up quickly behind them. The last thing I wanted was to get lost in this place. One glance behind me, and I saw that kid was still there. Didn't the maids or workers see him as they walked past?

I went up the massive staircase with my hand on the railing, and I had made it to the middle when I suddenly stopped. A jolt of electricity had just ran through my body so fast I was actually left shaking a bit. I let out the breath that had been caught in my throat, and took a moment to steady myself. So that was where it was. The source that I had been looking for. The last place a soul had touched before it passed, leaving it's presence behind. But this was different than normal; the presence was incredibly strong. I could tell that it was a recent death, but this was even stronger than normal. It was strange to feel such a large amount of energy. It was almost as if the soul hadn't departed completely. But it didn't feel like the presence of a ghost. With a ghost, it was more of a lucid, airy feeling. This was like having a brick wall slam into me repeatedly to get my attention.

For some reason I looked back at the boy. He was now staring at me with those deep blue eyes of his. However, now that I thought about it, there was something strange about him. His eyes were bright, but they seemed almost lifeless. His body suddenly seemed transparent. At least his aura was not flickering anymore. Also, why didn't anyone see him, even though he was standing right in front of everyone? Then it hit me. "Tsunade," I called, trying to keep my voice steady, even as I stared straight at this boy.

"What is it?" she answered, clearly annoyed that I was keeping her from her job. I looked up at her, and saw that Sakura was giving me a strange look. Well, I must have looked funny to her, since I was standing in the middle of the staircase, just staring off across the room like I had seen a ghost. Even though I was sure that I had.

"Why did the other family move out?"

"What? Sasuke, I can't divulge information about-"

"What happened in this house? What happened to the boy you were talking about before?"

"Sasuke, I don't think that's any of your business," Sakura interjected. She had a nervous look on her face, and was glancing back and forth between myself and Tsunade. Sakura had no idea about my family's powers, but she had been around me enough to know that something was up. "I'm sorry, Tsunade. He's just acting out. You know how teenage boys can be."

"Sakura, don't interrupt," I said. My voice was stern, and I kept a hard gaze trained on Tsunade. "Tsunade, tell me the truth. What happened in this house?"

Tsunade bit her lip in a nervous fashion. She knew something, and she was about to break. Finally she couldn't take my stare anymore, so she looked way and heaved a heavy sigh. "Last year…there was an accident. The boy came home late one night…drunk. While climbing the stairs, he tripped and fell. He was found on the very step that you are standing on."

Sakura gasped, but I remained silent. I knew it. That blonde boy was a ghost, haunting the site of his death. Though why I hadn't sensed it before was a mystery. I glanced back towards the living room, but the boy was gone. I looked around for him, even stretching out my sixth sense to find him, but he was gone. Hn, probably hiding now that he knows I found out about him. Now I was even less interested in the house than before. So I turned and walked down the stairs, tuning out Sakura's calls. I didn't need a tour of a house that I'd be moving into in less than a week. The calls stopped, and it seemed that Sakura and Tsunade had gone on without me. Good, now I'd be able to focus in peace.

I went back to the doorway of the living room, and easily picked up the boy's residual energy that was lingering on the doorframe he had just been beside. By now I had memorized it completely, so I'd be able to tell when he showed up. I tried stretching my sixth sense as far as it would go, but he wasn't in this area. Probably in another part of the house, or even outside. I wondered how far this ghost was able to wander from the source of his energy.

I spent many more futile minutes trying to find his presence, but I finally gave up. This ghost didn't want to be found. Deciding to try it later, I turned around to go find the other two. However, I ground to a halt and my heart skipped a beat. My onyx eyes widened as they stared straight into azure eyes. How…how could he be behind me?! I didn't sense him at all!

"So you really can see me, huh?"

* * *

Star: So that was chapter one. Not really long, but it was a good start. At least I think so. Please leave any reviews and comments about the story. Helpful criticism is appreciated.

Next Chapter: Who is this boy, and what happened to him? Was Tsunade's story the truth? Or is the truth being hidden?


	2. Sigh

Star: Hey guys! I'm back for another update! A lot of you apparently liked the other chapter, for what ever reason you did. XD Thanks for all your reviews! At least I know I'm going in the right direction.

Anyway, enough of my chatter. Let's get to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Only the plot.

warning: yaoi fic. 'nuff said.

* * *

"True love is like ghosts

which everybody talks about

but few have seen."

Francois de la Rochefoucauld.

* * *

My feet were rooted to the ground, and it felt like I was paralyzed. All I could do was stare, eyes wide and mouth open, at him. HIM. The ghost that I had just been searching for. How in the world could he have possibly snuck up on me without my noticing? Wasn't that what these damn powers were for? Now that I was staring at him, his presence was far too noticeable. My hair actually stood on end. I could feel his aura filtering through my sixth sense, no longer flickering like it had been before. Now it was strong and steady; almost like a human's. He was definitely curious; I could easily feel that. He was also confused, a little apprehensive, and amused for some reason. Well, I'm glad to know he finds this funny.

"Hello? Did you hear me?" His voice was as clear as a bell, and wasn't too deep for a boy of his age. As a ghost, it echoed a little around me, making me feel as if his voice was encompassing me completely. I had a passing thought that it sounded rather nice, before it quickly went away. He waved a hand before my eyes, and that finally snapped me out of my stupor. I took a step back, and composed myself quickly.

"Who are you?" Straight to business. I couldn't be standing here for too long staring into space. It didn't do any good for my image.

The ghost didn't say anything. He was looking into my eyes so deeply, and I wondered what he was searching for. "How can you see me?" he asked, instead of answering. He was really curious now, though I wasn't surprised. Even ghosts were amazed that anyone could see them. Most were skeptics in their life time that ghosts existed, and many who were ghosts didn't even know they were dead. Which made my job so much easier when I had to convince someone that they had been dead for hundreds of years.

"My family are spirit mediums. We can communicate with ghosts." He nodded though I could tell that he was still a bit confused. He came closer to me then, though he didn't walk. He was levitating above the ground a few inches, and though he took steps, his feet never touched the wood floor below him. I was sure that if he tried, he'd sink through into the ground. "Are you the boy that died here?"

Another ignored question. His lack of communication was starting to annoy me, though I wasn't exactly Mr. Talkative ether. "What is your name?" Instead of answering me, AGAIN, he turned and looked towards the stairs. A few seconds later I heard the voices of the women coming closer to the head of the staircase. Looking up, I could see Sakura's pink hair between the railing. I glanced back down, but the ghost had already disappeared. Sakura called my name out, and her shrill voice echoed in the large entrance hall. Not at all pleasant sounding like that boy's had been. Of course, he hadn't been screaming either.

"Are you done loitering?" she asked me, nagging as though she were my mother. "Tsunade has shown me the top floor, and it's beautiful. Each room has such a beautiful view of the gardens and pool. I think the room at the end of the right hall would be perfect for you."

"Why?" I might as well humor her by asking, since I knew she'd tell me either way.

"For one, it's on the other side of the house from the master bedroom." Ah, so she at least understood something about me. "And it's the last room to receive light, so you'll have it nice and dark. Plus…it's rather creepy in there. Not to mention very cold."

This caught my attention. It was the middle of July, and the A/C hadn't been turned on yet, so why would it be cold in there? "Was it cold in other rooms as well?"

"No, just that one. It was strange." She now had a pondering look on her face, suddenly interested in the strangeness of that event. "I walked in, and suddenly I had chills all over my body. It was just probably my imagination, but I felt as if there was someone else in there with us." Sakura laughed nervously, and her eyes darted towards Tsunade, who was avoiding eye contact with both of us. "I'm sure it was my imagination, especially after that story Tsunade told us. Wait…Sasuke…where are you going?"

I was already heading up the stairs when she called out to me. "Sasuke, we have to go meet your mother and Itachi!" I didn't bother responding to her, and I could feel her aura become filled with slight annoyance and confusion. I knew she'd end up calling them and making some excuse as to why we would be late, but it didn't bother me at all. We were normally the first ones to arrive anyway. My mother usually came a few minutes after us, and Itachi strolled in whenever he damn pleased. So it wasn't as if we would be keeping them.

The hallway was longer than I had expected, not to mention dark. All the bedroom doors were closed, and only a few lights had been turned on. But I knew where I was heading. I could sense energy growing the closer I came to the last door. Even as I stood outside the room, I knew who's presence used to reside here. The knob turned smoothly, and the door opened without a single creak. In here was more light, though not as much. The dark curtains blocked most of the sunlight except for a few patches that streamed in.

The furniture was covered in white cloth to keep dust from ruining it. I glanced over at the bed, and immediately turned away in a grimace. The comforter was a bright orange that burned my eyes. The pillows were also that bright orange color. How tacky. But I knew that this was his room, even without the use of that hideous color. There was residual energy in this room, and it rolled off all the objects in light waves. Everything in here had been touched by him in his lifetime. His presence was behind me again, but this time I felt it, probably because I was waiting for it. His aura was much more calm now, just filled with curiosity.

"Are you really moving in?" he asked me, and his voice once again rang around me gently. Turning around, I looked into those bright blue eyes, and nodded.

"My parents have bought this house, and we'll be moving in at the beginning of August." This ghost needed to know that the house did not belong to him anymore. Maybe that would help him move on. He turned away from me then, and walked, or rather floated around the room. His aura grew a bit heavier then with regret and sadness.

"Are you going to live in this room?" Now he was standing beside the curtains, a few inches from the beam of sunlight. Would I be able to see through him if he stood in the light? He looked so solid and I wondered if I'd be able to touch him. Sometimes I could touch spirits, if I concentrated my sixth sense hard enough. I just shrugged in response to his question; I hadn't made up my mind yet.

"If I live in this room, are you going to disappear?" It was a silly question to ask, but maybe if I cut his last ties to this world he'd leave. I know it sounds cruel, but this was how I did my "job". I wasn't going to baby the spirits; they needed to move on as soon as possible, and I did just that, even if it meant being harsh.

"I'm not going to leave this place," the ghost answered me, his voice hard. His aura was now filled with determination and stubbornness. And maybe a hint of anger? Leave it to a ghost to be defensive over something like this. "So you can do as many spells, séances, or whatever you want, but I'm not leaving. I told that to the other guy, and I'm telling you too."

"Other guy? You mean my brother?" Figures Itachi met this kid as well. And Itachi probably had already figured out everything he needed to know about this ghost. It was just like that bastard to not tell me small facts like our new house is HAUNTED.

The ghost now crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at me. "He told me that I needed to move on to the afterlife. He tried making it sound like it would be better for me, but I didn't buy it. I'm not leaving this house." Damnit, why did this ghost have to be so stubborn? At least he didn't feel like a malicious spirit. Exorcisms were such a long, tiring process, and my mother hated doing them as much as my brother and I did. It was worse for her, because she had to be the one who actually exorcised the demon by drawing it through her into the afterlife. My father was the only one in our immediate family that had no powers, but he considered it a blessing because that meant he had more time to focus on business.

As I opened my mouth to tell him that he really had no choice in the matter, Sakura appeared in the doorway. "Sasuke, I just called your mother," she said quietly. Her aura was full of hesitance and a bit of concern. Was she really avoiding coming into this room? "I told her we'd be a bit late for dinner, and that we'd call her when we were on our way."

I stopped listening to her then, since the ghost was now hovering around her, inspecting her closely. "Wow, she's cute!" he said in a cheery tone. His aura was happy. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Sasuke, what exactly are you doing in here?"

"Nothing. I was looking around."

The ghost floated around to her back and whistled, before peeking around her with a big grin. "Damn, you caught a good one. She's packing!" Was that a hint of lechery in his voice. My eye twitched.

"Have you looked enough? This room gives me the chills."

I really wanted to tell her the reason she was having chills was because there was a ghost currently groping her, but that wouldn't be the sane thing to do. My eye twitched again because this ghost was getting to be annoying. "Are you done yet?"

"Done what? What are you talking about, Sasuke?"

The ghost just laughed and backed away from her, his hands in the air. "Calm down, man. I'm not going to steal her or anything. I doubt she's into dead guys." Now he floated towards me again. "So your name is Sasuke? Sasuke what?"

"That's none of your business."

Sakura looked even more confused now. "Are you ok? You are saying strange things." She came closer to me, but I took a step away from both of them.

"Sakura, go back downstairs with Tsunade. I'll be down in a few minutes." She wanted to say something else, but my gaze stopped her. So she just nodded silently and walked away. Looking back to the ghost, I saw he was still wearing that annoying smile. "You. Don't touch her again."

"It's not like she can feel me," was his response. "Don't tell me you are the jealous boyfriend type."

I scoffed. "Hardly. But I don't need her going to my parents and telling them that this place gives her the creeps." Wait, on second thought that might be a good idea after all. Maybe that will keep her away.

"So she doesn't know you can see ghosts?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way."

All he did was nod and look out the door towards the stairs, in the direction that Sakura had gone. "You never told me your last name."

"You never told me your first name."

He looked back at me and smiled, clearly amused now. I didn't even need to feel his aura to tell that. "Naruto Uzumaki."

I tried to think of a time that I might have heard that name before, but nothing came to me. If he belonged to a rich family, which he must have considering the area he lived in, they hadn't been in my family's social circle. But considering Tokyo was a huge city, it wasn't all that surprising. I blinked, and he was suddenly hovering right in front of my face. "Can I help you?"

"Now you have to tell me your name. It's only polite."

Hn, this ghost was talking about polite, yet he clearly didn't understand about personal space. And his happy aura was about as sickening as Sakura's, but at least I could stand his for longer than five minutes. "Sasuke Uchiha."

His eyes grew wide and he stared at me even more now. "You are from the Uchiha family? Wow, I never thought I'd meet you guys! Too bad it came a bit late for anything." He started muttering something about how he should have recognized us sooner, and how awesome it was that the Uchihas were moving into his house. That in itself was a bit fan-ish, but it wasn't his apparent hero worship of me that got me worried.

I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what he meant by that previous statement. A bit late for anything? Just what had he been expecting to happen if he ever did meet me? Suddenly I felt relieved that there was a boundary between us; he couldn't try anything funny if he didn't have a body, and I sure as hell wasn't about to go around provoking some would be stalker. He was floating in front of me again, and I took a step back to put myself more at ease. The farther away I got, the better I felt. "What is it now?"

"So why is your family moving here. Doesn't your family live in Kyoto?" And the stalker meter went up even more. But it wasn't exactly a secret that my family has lived in the old capital for hundreds of years. Most of my family still lives in Kyoto, but my father, the head of the Uchiha family, wanted to move us to Tokyo.

"Business." He nodded and backed away from me, and I couldn't have been happier. His aura had been suffocating me at such close proximities. It was overflowing with curiosity, and I was struggling to take it in all at once. My sixth sense wasn't an open door that just anything could fit through. I looked down at the watch on my wrist, and knew that I'd have to leave soon to go meet my mother. If I came too late she'd bitch. And I sure as hell wasn't going to arrive after Itachi, since I liked to pretend to be the son that actually gave a damn. It looked better for me in the end. "If you are done with your questions, I'm going to leave now."

"So soon?" Was that a hint of urgency in his voice? "But you haven't even looked over the rest of the house yet."

"No need. I'll figure everything out when we move in."

"When is that?"

His aura had definitely grown heavier, as if he were expecting a bad answer. I suppose I could understand why he'd be so reluctant to let me go, considering I was the only person he's talked to in a year, besides my brother. But it wasn't a habit of mine to chatter aimlessly with ghosts. "When the papers are finalized. It will be another few weeks."

"Oh. I see." The boy's - Naruto, was it?- eyes grew darker as his disappointment crashed into me like a truck. Was he really that upset about being alone for a few more weeks? It's not like he hasn't been alone for an entire year. He should be used to it. Besides, he could watch the workers as entertainment. "Will you at least come back to look around?"

Him and his constant questions! Why on earth would a ghost be that lonely for company? If he would just hurry to the afterlife, he wouldn't be lonely anymore. "If my schedule allows it, but most likely I won't. Don't tell me that you are really upset that I'm leaving."

"Of course I'm not!" he said defensively, but he didn't look me in the eye when he said that. I smirked, as I could easily tell he was lying. So this ghost really was lonely. How strange for a ghost to have such feelings of longing for the company of others. Normally ghosts didn't care much for the living world. "I was just…curious…is all."

"Well, since I answered your question, your curiosity should be satisfied. If that is the case, I will be taking my leave now." I walked past him and headed out the door, hoping to leave this ghost behind. But as I walked down the stairs, I felt him following behind me like a stray puppy. "What?" I asked, glancing back at him. Damnit, I chose the wrong step to stop on. I could feel the source of his presence rush into me again, making my legs feel week again.

He said nothing for a moment as he looked at me intensely. "Nothing," he finally answered. His face was blank, but he was still definitely upset that I was leaving so soon. "I guess I'll see you in a few weeks."

Not answering, I just looked at him for another few seconds before turning and walking down the rest of the stairs. He didn't follow this time. Once I was out of the house, I felt my breathing come easier. It could definitely be described as feeling as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. He had such an overpowering aura, much stronger than any other ghosts I had ever encountered. It felt so similar to that of a living person, that if I had to go on that fact alone, I would have easily said he were still alive.

Sakura was waiting for me beside the limo, and she was tapping her toe on the car floor. She was so impatient sometimes; as if I would adjust my life to fit into her schedule. But it had gotten late, and the sun was beginning to set in the sky. It was a bright orange/red color, almost the same as the ghosts' comforters. Those would be the first things to go. Once I climbed into the limo, I turned my head to get one last look at the house. I saw something move beside one of the dining room windows, but it had been so quick that I wasn't able to tell if it was him or not. But as soon as the limo left the driveway, I forgot all about that ghost boy.

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Star: Ok! That was chapter 2! Sorry if the ending seemed a little messy. Chapter 3 should be coming soon. Stay tuned!

next time: moving day is here, but moving soon becomes the last thing on sasuke's mind.


	3. Groan

Hey guys. I can't believe it's been two years since I last updated. It really didn't seem that long until I actually went back and looked at my profile. I'm sorry I've kept you guys waiting this long. I really didn't mean to. I'll try to update more than once every two years this time

Bright Shadows is still on hiatus. I reread it, and I absolutely hate my old writing style. So I'm going to edit the chapters and rewrite the content. Until I fix all the chapters, I'm not going to update any new ones.

Thanks to my beta and friend, PaleCrimsonGoddess for checking over this chapter.

Disclaimer: don't own naruto.

* * *

"True love is like ghosts

which everybody talks about

but few have seen."

Francois de la Rochefoucauld.

* * *

The limo ride was as quiet as ever, other than the few times that my father would say something to whomever he was on the phone with. My mother was reading some woman's magazine about houses or something. Itachi and I were sitting quietly, just waiting for the time to pass for us to reach the house. It was moving day, and it would be busy one. The moving vans had already gone ahead of us, and I knew that there would be a ton of people just wandering in and out of the house. As long as they dropped my things off in my room and got out, I didn't care what they did.

I had decided to take the room on the far end of the house. I knew that the ghost wouldn't be happy about it, but I didn't care much. He was dead, and he had no claim to that room anymore. I needed it because it was the furthest from my family. It was quiet over there, and the sun wouldn't bother me too much. That ghost, whose name I forgot since it wasn't really important, could deal with me being there. If he wasn't happy then he could cross over. It wasn't my problem if he got annoyed.

"Are you ready to start your new school?" my mother asked me suddenly, looking up from her magazine and straight at me. She said it in such a sincere voice, and looked at me with the hope that I'd be as excited as she wanted me to be.

"What exactly are the good points of this university?" I didn't want to go to this university at all. It was an elite school, however no one noteworthy had gone there. The only reason I was going here was because it was the closest one. I would have rather gone to a university far away from this place, but my father wanted me to stay close to work in his business. He had done the same to Itachi, only Itachi had worked during high school. So of course MY life had to be ruined now that I could actually get away from my family.

"They have a great business school," my mother said, even though I knew that she could name ten universities off the top of her head that were much better. "Their organizations are highly praised for opening doors for the students for their future business adventures." Which really made no difference to me, since I knew where I'd be heading once I graduated. My father had already made it perfectly clear that I would be taking over his European branches. I didn't understand why he didn't let me go study there. I already knew more than most of his employees about the business. But he wanted me to know the finer points, so he was making me work for him after school. So goodbye freedom, hello anger management classes.

We pulled into the long driveway after another twenty minutes. There were moving vans everywhere, and it was pretty noisy. I couldn't wait till they all left, so that I could finally be alone. I hadn't been alone for three weeks, and I was seriously on the verge of blowing my head off. Itachi, of course, had no problem being a pain in my ass this entire time. He found it very amusing to see my face turn red from holding in my anger. Bastard. At least now I could lock him out of my room instead of having to share a room with him. Once we were parked, my parents got out and immediately began bossing people around to do things. Itachi went off to do something, and I tracked down the van that had my things in it.

I could sense the ghost floating around somewhere, but couldn't pin point his specific location. It didn't bother me really, since I was busy moving my boxes up in my room. Normally I'd leave this task for the movers, but I didn't really want anyone touching these boxes. My most expensive books were in these boxes, and I doubted that any of these workers would be able to pay to replace them. As I dropped a rather heavy box onto the floor of my new room, I took one quick look around. Everything that had been in here previously was now in storage up in the attic. The bright orange comforter had been especially thrown into the furthest corner of the attic. It did make me wonder though why the boy's things hadn't been taken when the previous owners had left the house. All the other rooms had been cleared of personal belongings, leaving only a bare room with furniture. But this one room had been completely filled with the boy's things. Like it was just waiting for the boy to barge in one afternoon after school.

The longer I stayed in this room the stronger his presence felt. I could tell it was standing in the doorway, staring at me. Yet he didn't once try to enter the room. I could tell he wasn't happy with what was taking place, but since he couldn't do anything to stop it, he avoided confronting me. Maybe this would become a permanent thing. I heard some noises downstairs and decided it was time to head back down. As I turned and walked out the door, his presence disappeared. Apparently, he didn't want to be seen. This was turning out to be a good day after all.

I headed downstairs and wandered into the kitchen where my mother was ordering around a group of movers who were struggling with a large wooden cabinet. My mother, on the other hand, was leaning calmly against the stove and telling them 'a little to the right' or 'it looked better facing that way'. She spotted me and smiled, waving me over. "So, how is your room coming out?"

"Fine. I just need to unpack," I responded in my usual bored tone as I watched the workers finally shove the cabinet into the space my mother wanted. They stood up with groans, holding their backs as the joints cracked loudly. My mother then pursed her lips, which meant she wasn't too happy with how it looked. It seemed the workers had figured this out as well, since they gave her pleading looks to leave it the way it was. She was in a good mood though so she waved them off, and each worker disappeared in a few seconds.

"You are really going to like living here. It has so many things to do, and places to explore." She said this as if I'd never been to Tokyo before. I practically grew up here, since father often took me on one of his business trips. "And you'll make lots of friends at your new university." To this I scoffed. I wasn't one to make friends. I much preferred spending my time in solitude rather than surrounded by loud, obnoxious people. Unlike Itachi, who was always the life of the party no matter where he went.

"Mother, I still don't understand why I had to come here instead of going to a college somewhere in Europe. Why does Father have to involve me in his business when I can finally go off on my own?" He trained Itachi during his high school years. Why couldn't he have done the same with me? His excuse was that he had no time or patience to train both of us.

"Because Father knows you'd never come back if he let you go," came my brother's voice behind me. The bastard walked into the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs at the large, oak table, with that annoying smirk of his plastered on his face. "You never were much for family bonding."

"I didn't realize you felt so neglected, brother," was my response along with a bitter look. "My apologies."

Itachi's grin just widened; he could tell he was pissing me off and loved it. "I agree with Mother. You need more friends, Sasuke. And maybe you could find ones more bearable than that Sakura." The only thing we agreed on was the fact that Sakura was a menace to the whole family.

"Itachi, be nice," Mother scolded gently. "She would have been your fiancée had she been just two or three years older."

Itachi made a disgusted face, but then the grin returned full force. "As much as the thought of losing out on a…gem…like her saddens me, I do believe she is much better suited for Sasuke. She might even bring him out of the shell he's so meticulously built around himself."

'Or not,' I thought. The ghost was coming closer to us now, though he continued to stay outside of the kitchen, just watching us. Although he wasn't visible to us right now, I knew that the other two had sensed him as well. His aura was flickering once again, fading in and out more than what was usual for a ghost. To me it seemed as if he were always being tugged by some invisible rope, as if he were meant to be somewhere else. I'm sure that if I could see his aura as well, it would be fading in and out like a light. "I'm sure that there are other men out there more suitable to her type." The crazy type, I meant.

Mother just rolled her eyes and walked over to a box on the counter labeled 'cups'. She pulled three out, then went to the fridge and poured us all a glass of iced tea. She only ever started handing drinks to us when she knew that there was an argument coming. Her reasoning for this was because we bickered so much that our throats would get dry. "I'm sure you are dying to get rid of her, but this marriage would be a very good asset for our family. Her father owns one of the world's largest shipping firms, and having him as a partner would boost your father's productivity."

I knew she was right, but I still couldn't help but voice my complaints. "Mother, we all know that Father would still manage to be one of the top medical businesses in the world with or without this "partnership". Hospitals around the world spend billions on his equipment and technology. I don't think it would be that big of a deal if I didn't marry Sakura."

Itachi, who thankfully had been quiet for the moment, decided to speak now. Bless him. "But with this partnership, transporting the equipment overseas would become faster and cheaper for Father, and would gain Sakura's father a lot more business. So it all works out."

Once again I threw a bitter look at Itachi. He was thoroughly enjoying hearing me complain about this engagement, only because he knew that it was the most horrible thing I'd ever had to go through. Were he a true brother, he'd have taken my side and defended me. However, he just fucking loved pissing me off. But I couldn't argue anymore, since I had nothing to say against his points. So I dropped the subject for now. "And what about yourself, brother? What shall you do now that we are in Tokyo? After all, you are getting quite old, and we all know employers want fresh faces." In reality, Itachi was only twenty four.

Itachi ignored me, and sipped his tea. He already had a position at Father's company. He handled some of the work load Father dealt with as part of his training to take over, which mostly included business meetings. So he wasn't worried at all about a job. And as the eldest son, he could easily convince Father to transfer him wherever he wanted to go. "Mother, did I complain as much when I was in Sasuke's position?"

"You kept it mostly to yourself," she answered. "You were obviously unhappy, but you handled it better than Sasuke." She must have seen the outraged look on my face, because she smiled and patted my head. "You deal with things much more differently than your brother. He deals with things he doesn't like quickly, while you like to go off and sulk in private."

I finished my tea, put the cup in the sink, then turned back towards my mother. "I'm going to finish unpacking. I suggest, brother, that you stop lounging about the house and find something to make yourself useful." Mother smiled over her tea glass, and Itachi turned his head away to hide his smirk. They could both tell I was annoyed again.

As I headed out to the living room, the ghost followed me again. I ignored him as I'd been doing all day, but it was starting to get on my nerves a bit. If he was going to make his presence known, he should at least want something. Otherwise, this habit of his was annoying. Finally, when I entered my room, I couldn't take it anymore. "Do you need something?" I asked as I turned to face him. He didn't disappear this time, but was still standing just outside the door.

"No," he answered simply. He stared at me with those big, blue eyes, and it unnerved me for some reason. When I had first met him, his eyes looked lifeless. Something suiting a ghost. But now, I could see a hidden flame in those eyes. It looked like it was being smothered, but refused to go out. Like he had suddenly found a boost of life. This was one strange ghost, and not just because he kept following me everywhere either. He just didn't feel dead. Maybe I was losing my touch. I never really bothered to exercise my power since I found it to be a nuisance.

I continued to get my room in order, but after a while his constant staring really got on my nerves. I gave an annoyed huff and glared at him, hoping he would get the point. But he just continued floating in my doorway, watching me silently. "If you don't want anything then leave. I don't particularly like being stared at." It really felt like he was sizing me up, trying to see if he could handle me. Or at least that's the feeling I got from him.

"Why are you so angry all the time?" Naruto asked me. I just remembered his name. His tone was genuinely curious, and I found I didn't have the will to ignore his question.

"Because I have to deal with idiots like you all day," I muttered as I turned back to my boxes. I felt his aura become filled with annoyance momentarily, and I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of satisfaction. I knew I shouldn't tease the boy; he had enough troubles, being dead and all. I felt him enter the room and watched him from the corner of my eye as he floated over to my bed and sat on the edge. I was about to yell at him to get off when I noticed the distant look on his face. It was clear he was thinking about his life. For some reason I felt it would be rude to bother him, so I let him be and continued unpacking in silence.

A while later I finally placed the last of my clothes into the large, walk in closet. I was finally finished unpacking. Naruto was still sitting at the edge of my bed, staring at some random point on the floor. I was the tiniest bit curious about what he was thinking of, but I was not about to ask him. So I put on my usual stern face and walked up to him. "Hey. I don't exactly like sharing my bed with ghosts."

Naruto looked up at me as if he hadn't even realized where he had been, or what he had been doing. I admitted to myself, in retrospect, that the surprised, dopey look on Naruto's face right now was pretty cute. The way those bright blue eyes stared up at me with pure, innocent curiosity was enough to make even my heart skip a beat. "Sorry!" he suddenly cried out, shooting up from the bed and floating just below the ceiling. "I forgot it's your bed now." He gave an embarrassed little chuckle and avoided eye contact with me.

I just rolled my eyes and leaned down to fix the comforter since, in his hurry to jump up, he wrinkled it a bit. But when my hand brushed over the spot he had been sitting on, I was surprised to find it warm. Almost as if a live human had been sitting on it. But Naruto was clearly dead. Dead people didn't give off body heat! I looked straight up at him with a serious, thoughtful gaze which must have bothered him since he shifted nervously and gave me an annoyed look. "What are you staring at?" I suddenly found myself doing something I honestly hated; I reached out to touch him. I needed to find out if Naruto was really dead. Naruto wasn't exactly thrilled to see me reach for him, and quickly backed away. "Whoa, what are you doing?" he asked, clearly startled to see me try and touch him.

"Give me your hand," I ordered. I didn't want to argue with him. I just wanted to complete my experiment so I could know if Naruto was really dead, or if I was just hallucinating everything. He refused, and it annoyed me. "Just give me your hand."

"Sasuke, don't bother the poor boy," came Itachi's voice from the doorway. Naruto and I both looked over at him leaning against the doorframe with that horrid amused smirk on his face. "He's got enough troubles without you pestering him."

"I don't remember inviting you to my room," I told him. He just ignored me and strolled right up next to me, looking up at Naruto. Naruto looked even more uneasy now that there were two of us watching him. It must have been odd for him since he hadn't been around anyone in more than a year.

Itachi gave Naruto a pleasant smile to try and calm him down. "I'm sorry about my little brother. He's not very good with people. Try to ignore him when he gets into moods like this." Of course I knew he was saying this to piss me off. So I ordered him to get out, since I didn't feel like dealing with his stupidity anymore. I never could stand the bastard. Itachi left, snickering in amusement, and I made sure to close the door behind me.

Naruto had that thoughtful, distant look on his face again as he stared at the shut door. "I never had any siblings," he told me, as if he expected me to care. I didn't, but I humored him by making a light grunt to let him know I heard him. His aura got sad for a split second before it changed to a happy feel. "You two have an interesting relationship. Do you always bitch this much with each other?" he asked with a light chuckle. I rolled my eyes at that; glad he found it so humorous. I didn't want to talk about my brother, or my family. I still wanted to know why the bed was warm where Naruto sat.

"Are you sure you are dead?" I suddenly asked him. It caught him off guard, and he stared at me with another blank look as he tried to formulate an answer.

"Uh…I think I am," Naruto said finally. "If I wasn't dead, then I wouldn't be able to check out your girlfriend without her noticing." He laughed at his own poor joke, but I could tell he wasn't exactly eager to go into the details of his death. "So how old is she?"

I ignored his question, and responded with one of my own. "How did you die?" I knew he had an accident on the stairs, but I wanted to know how. What had happened the night that he had died? Normally I wasn't interested at all about how people died, but I was slowly starting to realize that Naruto wasn't like other dead people. It was an annoying sense of curiosity that I knew wouldn't go away until I found out the truth.

"I don't know. I fell or something," he said, blowing it off as if it was no big deal. "But seriously. How old is she? How often is she going to be visiting?"

"How did you die?" I was really getting annoyed with the way he always avoided answering questions about himself. It actually reminded me a bit of myself with how private he was. And suddenly I realized that this type of behavior was annoying. Was talking to me this frustrating?

Naruto shrugged and began floating about my room, looking at my things. He spotted a box full of my awards and trophies from all the sports and academic tournaments I'd been in and gave an appreciative whistle. "Damn, you are like wonder boy. I never got so many awards." He began digging through the box to look at all the medals, keeping his back to me.

Of course, this just pissed me off more. I had half a mind to grab him and shake him so much his tiny brain would end up rattling about in his head. But I was above that sort of behavior, so I gave an annoyed huff and left the room. There was no need to get so worked up over a damn ghost. I should just get my mother to exorcise him from the house. Then I wouldn't have to deal with his annoying ass anymore.

By this time the movers had all gone, and the only people left were the servants. They were cleaning up the mess left behind, and watching their new bosses curiously. I overheard some of the younger females talking about my brother and I, and rolled my eyes. Why women always felt the need to gossip was something I'd never understand. Sakura loved to tell me all about the latest gossip she'd heard, even though I told her many times that I was not interested. At least guys were less likely to chatter on about shit no one gave a damn about.

I made my way to the gardens which were thankfully empty. As much as I hated nature in all it's forms, the gardens were very nice. I hadn't noticed before that the gardens branched off into a large hedge maze, which bordered the tennis court. There were two entrances to the maze, one on each side of the courts, though I assumed they both led to the same place. One could probably see the center if they stood on the top balcony. Since I had nothing better to do now, I entered the maze on the left and began my way to the center. The hedges had to be at least six feet tall, and any normal person would quickly get lost. Of course I cheated since I used my sixth sense to point me in the right direction. In the shade of the hedges it was actually a bit chilly, despite the bright sun and summer heat. So I made my way quickly through them to the end.

In the center of the maze was a small gazebo with a swinging bench. It was surrounded by bushes filled with all manner of brightly colored flowers. A few yards in front of it was a small bird bath, and two ornate bird houses were on either side. I watched some birds flutter about for a bit before I went up to the gazebo and sat down. There was a ceiling fan inside, so I turned it on and let myself relax a bit. Out here there was nothing to bother me, and soon I found myself drifting off for a nap.

I woke up an hour or so later with a start. I was sure I had felt someone's presence nearby. It was probably Naruto following me like usual. And sure enough, when I looked over, I saw him standing at the end of the maze. The sun was setting now, and cast a bright, orange light upon him. In this light, his blonde hair looked almost golden, and his eyes stood out much more than usual. They almost seemed to be glowing bright blue, and once again I found myself drawn to them. It really was a shame that Naruto was an annoying, dead brat. He really was attractive.

Naruto had that far off look in his eyes again as he looked at the gazebo. But it was almost as if he wasn't really seeing me. More like he was looking through me to a vision of something only he could see. I sat up, which seemed to catch his attention, because he snapped out of his daze and focused on me. He immediately put on that annoying, dumb grin of his. "Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he joked. "You were lying so still, I had half a mind to wake you with a kiss like in the stories." Damn it, Naruto was cute but he sure said the dumbest shit. I must have put on a really annoyed look, because he just laughed. "Damn, I was just kidding. You don't have to be such a prick about it." I really wanted to tell him that I wouldn't be such a prick if I didn't have stupid, wise-cracking ghosts pestering me.

"Is there something you want? Or do you just like being a pain in my ass?" I asked as I fixed my hair. Not that there was much I could do with this mess anyway.

"You've been gone for a while, and I got bored going through your room." Wonderful; I just hope he didn't trash it. I would seriously send him to the afterlife if I found even one item out of place. "Are you coming in? The sun is setting already."

"Why don't you go bother my brother? He's the more talkative one." Itachi and Naruto could pester each other with stupid shit, and leave me well alone. Naruto just snickered and shook his head.

"No thanks. He kinda gives me the creeps." Not surprising; my brother may seem very social and outgoing, but he was actually a very calculating, cunning person. He never did anything without plenty of consideration, and usually had an ulterior motives for his actions. Itachi could be as cutthroat and ruthless as Father sometimes.

I stood up and began walking back towards the house. "Well, I'm not exactly interested in making friends with ghosts. So go find someone else to haunt."

Naruto was pouting now; I didn't have to turn around to see it, when I easily felt it. He floated a few feet behind me, following me to the house. "Aw, you really are mean! Would it kill you to lighten up a bit? Maybe smile once in a while." My hands clenched tightly as I tried not to snap at Naruto. Why, of all places, did we have to move into the house with the annoying kid? "I don't know how Sakura can put up with you."

"Good god, why don't you just move on to the afterlife already?" I asked, really annoyed now by his chatter. He was really hurt by this comment. His feelings passed through my sixth sense and I felt as a heavy weight had just dropped on top of me. Great, now I felt bad for being mean. I needed to do something about him and soon, before I lost my mind. He suddenly scoffed in annoyance, and I could tell he was doing his best to cover up just how much my comment upset him.

"Jeez, man what is your problem? You don't have to act like such a bastard." I turned around and gave an annoyed stare at Naruto, who was glaring back at me. "You really need to chill out with that anger problem of yours." He floated off in front of me towards the house, clearly ready to end this conversation.

But I was too pissed now to let it go. I wasn't about to stand here and get insulted by some bratty ghost. "My problem is that I have this annoying ghost following me everywhere, who won't leave me alone. Why don't you just move on?"

Naruto turned around and glared at me again. His eyes seemed to be glowing again from an inner fire that was just dying to be released. Now his aura was strong and full, no longer flickering and weak like it normally was. Had I not met him before now, I would have sworn that he was alive like me. I'd never before met a ghost with so much life force and energy. "I'm not going to move on," he said in a strong voice. It was clear he was not going to change his mind.

"Why not?" I had to ask. My curiosity was so piqued that I couldn't keep myself from asking. As much as I couldn't stand this guy, I needed to know what was keeping him here.

"There's something I need to do." He looked like he wanted to ask me something, but changed his mind and began floating off again.

I followed him, because I refused to let him leave without finally giving me ONE straight answer. "And you aren't going to tell me what it is?"

"It's not important for you to know." That was not a straight answer, so I continued hounding him. This was really out of character for me, since I normally didn't care enough to bother about anyone else's personal life. But this kid was just so damn infuriating that I wanted to just smack the answers out of his stupid head. Once I had my answers I could go back to ignoring him.

Finally I got so frustrated with asking, that I decided to turn to another tactic. "Maybe I can help you." This certainly caught his interest, and he floated back towards me. He stayed silent (for once) and waited for me to continue. "My family's duty is to help ghosts find peace and move on. If you tell me what you need to do, I might be able to help you complete it." It was a pretty risky move on my part. For one, I had no clue what I could be getting myself into. It could easily be the stupidest, most dangerous shit in the world. On the other hand, I had no idea if I would even be able to help him. "I'm not making any promises though." I wanted him to know that particular fact.

Naruto was studying me for a while, and I could see in his eyes he was thinking it through. Was his final task that big of a deal that he had to spend so much time considering his options? But when he finally spoke, it caught me so off guard that for a while after I was dumbstruck. "Alright. I want you to help me get revenge on the one who killed me."

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So I hope you all liked it. I'm a bit rusty after not writing for two years, but I'll try and get better soon. I'll work on chapter 4 as soon as I can, but I'm not going to make any promises about when it'll be updated.

Thanks for sticking with me for so long! I'll see you soon!


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